New Winnipeg grocery store serving up specialty items from the Mediterranean and Middle East

Issa Qandeel recalls working in his family'ssmall grocery store while growing up in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Now he's bringing some of the flavours he remembers to a new store in Winnipeg.

Qandeel, 27, moved to Winnipeg nine years ago to further his education, studyingeconomics at the Universityof Manitoba and accounting at Red River College. When he finished, he felt connected to the city and wanted to stay.

"My city back home is Ramallah and my city now is Winnipeg," said Qandeel.

He opened his new grocery store, Blady Middle Eastern, at1324Portage Avenue, on Friday and hopes it will help meet what he feels is a growing demand for Middle Eastern products in the city.

"There's a trend in Winnipeg on Middle Eastern stuff, Middle Eastern food," said Qandeel.

He learned what it was like to run a store while working part-time at his family's business as a kid. He said his grandfather opened a grocery store in Ramallah in 1963, and his dad still runs it with the help of his brothers today.

Blady offers some of the same types of items as his family's grocery store, like cheese and spices, but also includes a bakery and a wide variety of halal meats.

"I'm still discovering what people want," he said. "It's just like a new experience for me."

Qandeel, who worked as a partner at local restaurant until recently, chose to open the store with his wife with a different name than the one his family operates in Ramallah.

"Here Ihave Blady Middle Eastern because 'blady' means 'my home, my town, my country, my village' like, 'my background,'" said Qandeel.

"It's a good thing to represent a different culture."

He's importing a variety of items like spices, olives and sweets and is also offering products made in Canada, including some madeat the store. He hopes to continue to grow his stock in the coming months.

"It's good to feel the feelings that you used to feel back home when you have fresh bakery, fresh labneh[strained yogurt], for example," said Qandeel. "You get the memories going in your mind."

His parents were in Winnipegjust a few months ago and saw the store while it was under construction.

"There was no flooring, no ceiling, nothing," he said."[My father]was really happy for me because I'm taking this step."

Qandeelsaid while the store just opened, so far the response has been good.

"Lots of friendly people here."